* Ex-Bruin Tim Thomas skated on Thursday
morning at TD Garden but has been ruled out of returning to action
in this one.

* The Panthers haven't won a hockey game since Oct. 19, as
they're 0-2-4 in their last six contests.

* Boston hasn't fared much better of late, going 1-3-1 in their
last five games.

ON A ROLL

ICE COLD

FUN FACTS

Reilly Smith (2 pts last 2 GP)

Dougie Hamilton (2 pts last 2 GP)

Greg Campbell (0 pts last 14 GP)

Brad Marchand (0 pts last 3 GP)

* Daniel Paille and Panthers d-man Brian Campbell were teammates
in Buffalo for three years (2005-08). In Paille's first career
multi-goal game, the two combined for four points in a 6-3 win over
Boston on Jan. 17, 2007.

* Milan Lucic notched his second career hat trick on Nov. 18,
2010, leading Boston to a 4-0 win over Florida.

Scottie Upshall (3 pts last 2 GP)

Brian Campbell (2 pts last 2 GP)

Brad Boyes (0 pts last 3 GP)

Kris Versteeg (0 pts last 4 GP)

* After scoring a goal for the Flyers in a 4-2 win in Boston on
Mar. 3, 2009, Scottie Upshall was traded the following day to the
Coyotes. Upshall met his new team in Boston, as Phoenix was
visiting TD Garden the next night. The winger opened the scoring in
an eventual 2-1 victory, tallying against the B's for a second
straight game as a member of two different clubs.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

* Tim Thomas isn't playing, so there's damn near no reason to
even turn on the television this evening, as the former Bruins'
absence once again makes a game against the Panthers the polar
opposite of a must-see contest.

* All that really matters, in my opinion, is that the Bruins
stop talking about that oft-beaten-to-death cliche of "playing a
full 60 minutes" and actually go out and do it for once. They've
been guilty of playing down to the competition (see their first
matchup against the Panthers for a prime example), letting their
foot off the gas when they've got a lead or waiting too long to try
to erase a deficit in classic, too-little-too-late fashion. The
time for talk is over. Boston should be able to dominate all three
periods against the Panthers team, especially with home-ice
advantage. With the way things have gone for the Black and Gold
lately, they could use a confidence-boosting, blowout victory.